The Good Fight
by GreenPaperCrane
Summary: The team takes on Red John as he turns the tables in his cat and mouse game. Multi-chap take on the events post the season 4 finale. Previously a 4X24 episode tag.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** It's going to be a loooong summer. After seeing the response of this community to the season 4 finale I was compelled to write *something*. No idea where this story will go but it definitely has spoilers for 4x24.

I hope I can get a few readers to come onboard for this ride; it's going to be a fly by the seat of your pants sort of escapade. There wouldn't be any other way to deal with what happened :)

**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Hellerverse. The rest is the product of an overactive imagination.

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Lisbon stood up from the interrogation table. She felt an uneasy dread. She could not voice her thoughts to Loralei but she felt sorry for the woman. She had just learned to what depths Jane would sink to on his quest against Red John. To give up his very soul for information was the lowest of the low.

She caught the attention of the guard.

"He's not to be left alone with the suspect."

She walked back to the bullpen. She scanned the familiar setting.

Jane was nowhere to be seen; he most likely retreated to the attic to collect his thoughts.

The team was congregated around Cho's desk. They gave their team leader asking glances and stares.

Eyes which cried out

_What is going on?_

_What's going to happen next?_

Unfortunately she could not respond to their voiceless inquiries. She walked over to them.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for what you've each been put through the past couple of hours. I know that we've been through this before. I implore you for your patience with Jane as we work this out."

Van Pelt hissed then blushed at her verbal betrayal of her emotions.

"Van Pelt?" Lisbon asked.

Grace looked at the team, and then at Lisbon.

"Boss, how much more are we all going to lose? How much more are we willing to ride on this rollercoaster?"

Lisbon looked at her team and processed the full weight of Van Pelt's words.

"He needs help. We signed up to catch bad people. We all knew we were going to sacrifice some part of ourselves for this cause. That part of us which compels us to stand up to protect the good in the world is what people like him need. When we're helping him and his cause you have to recognize...we're helping to fight the good fight."

She retreated to her office to let the team choose. Van Pelt was right; they had sacrificed as much as could be asked of any sane person.

It was now their choice if they continued on this quest.

As she settled into her chair the team walked into her office.

They looked at her as they looked at her when they implored her to go through the plot Jane had concocted when he got out of jail.

Rigsby spoke, "When I look at my son I feel compelled to do more… be a better cop. I know the ugliness that's out there. The people we save, they aren't faceless people now. They have my son's face."

Van Pelt and Cho gave their silent agreement. They were bound. They were bruised and battered but not broken. They knew what they represented. _Good._

Lisbon stood up and they followed her to the attic. It was time to confront Jane.

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As she took the stairs one by one she let her mind wander to the interrogation room. If they had witnessed what she had seen within that room, they would have agreed... Jane was almost off the reservation. He was manic in his quest for information.

Something bothered her though... that look.

When he embraced Loralei's face and kissed her with the tenderness a wolf reserves for a rabbit, he looked at Lisbon as he retreated. Was it a plea to not get in his way? He was mistaken. She would not allow him to turn into the thing he was hunting.

The team flanked her as if they were approaching a hostile situation. In truth, they had no idea what state he would be in.

Lisbon knocked. No answer.

She reached for the handle as if it threatened to burn her. Suddenly the door opened and the object of her musings faced her with a curious stare.

"Can't face me alone? Need to travel in groups now?" Jane mused.

Lisbon's alpha skills took over as she spoke for the group.

"We're not afraid of you, we're afraid for you. We're here to let you know that we're still in this together."

Jane stared at them, calculating his options. How far could he rely on their good intentions? How far could he take this before they would give up on him? He looked down at his hand. His ring finger sporting a red welt, a memory of the recent horror they'd all been through. He looked at them and nodded his head. There were no words. He stood surrounded by the memory of his old family and the presence of his new family.

They were in for the good fight, no matter the consequences.

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The sun had set over the horizon a few hours ago. It was time to head home to regroup. Lisbon felt the beginnings of a headache creep up as she gathered her belongings.

Meditation would be good for her, a moment to think about their future.

The death of her immediate superior and Darcy's probing questions were things that needed to be dealt with.

It almost felt as her car steered itself to the church.

The parking lot was empty as most people had left the evening mass hours ago. She walked the familiar steps and felt herself mentally breathe a sigh of relief.

_A safe place._

As she reached the church door she realized that it was too quiet. A nagging feeling crept up her spine. She told herself it was paranoia. She was getting as bad as Jane. Where else could she be safe if not at a place of worship.

She walked down the aisle and made the familiar motions. There was someone else here. A nun was slouched over at the front bench. At first Lisbon felt a smirk form on her lips. Falling asleep on the job, it wouldn't be the first time she's seen it.

The angle was weird; something was off about this, something in her recognized that this was no peaceful slumber. She felt for her weapon and realized she left it in the car... this being a church and all.

Instinct took over and she reached for her cell phone.

"Sister" she whispered.

No response.

Her fingers found her recent contacts list.

"Sister, are you awake?"

She was a few steps away when something in her peripheral vision caught her eye.

It was brown... no, it was red on white. The darkness made it brown.

Trembling hands dialed Cho to ask him for backup.

The realization hit her full force. They weren't hunting Red John anymore. He was hunting them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** This story was originally written in one night with a duration of 5 chapters. After reading your reviews, the story has mutated into something else entirely! Thanks for that!

**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Hellerverse. The rest is the product of an overactive imagination + a sprinke of review dust.

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Virgil Minelli looked at his reflection.

If he didn't know he was looking at a mirror he would have thought he was looking at his father.

Unfortunately retirement had not worked the wonders he had hoped it would.

He looked at his white hair, his thinning face and his bloodshot eyes.

He thought back to a few hours before when he had received an abrupt and unexpected phone call.

They wanted him back... temporarily.

Instead of laughing it off as the joke it was meant to be..he considered it.

Considered it enough that he was now the interim director of the CBI.

The elevator pinged and he stepped inside the familiar setting.

Truth be told, he was nervous.

He had stepped away from the job after reaching a limit BUT he always knew that if the right set of circumstances arose, he would return.

As he walked towards the Serious Crimes office he took a deep breath and thought to himself...

_Welcome to the Bermuda Triangle of circumstances_...

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Teresa Lisbon looked at her reflection.

She was tired, hungry and incredibly concerned.

The previous night seemed like something out of a nightmare. She always knew that she could be targeted by the people they fought against but last night's events drew the point home. Words were just words until something like this happened...

Going home alone after what had occurred would have been careless. After being questioned as a witness she asked Cho to accompany her home as she packed an overnight bag and prepped herself for the next few days. Until plans could be finalized she would be living out of her office.

A fresh change of clothes and a splash of cool water on her face helped her regain her composure. She needed to focus. There were clues which could help lead their investigation away from just relying on Loralei. She hoped beyond hope that she could keep Jane away until she had a chance to rally her strength.

She stepped through the corridor and entered her office.

If she hadn't been distracted by her earlier thoughts she would have seen it, she would have seen the silhouette of a man standing near her office window. Her movements jerked to a stop and she quickly tried to take evasive action.

"Don't shoot." The words came out of his mouth with no emotion. There was no cheeky grin, no sign of the old Patrick Jane. The sunlight lit half of his profile, the other was covered with the darkness that early morning brings.

Lisbon relaxed her posture in relief, "You scared me half to death."

Jane stepped into the sunlight. He looked more human. "After what you've been though I'd imagine you'd have been a bit more careful."

Lisbon tensed immediately. Leave it to Jane to mock her at a time like this.

"I'm not backing down. Why are you skulking around in the shadows?" her voice took on its usual authority.

His eyes said one thing but his mouth voiced something else, "Did they find any clues?"

"Not yet, they're still looking."

"You won't find something unless he wants you to see it." His gaze turned serious. "Why didn't you call me?"

Lisbon thought of all of the reasons which shouted for release from her mind. She settled on the practical one, "You're off of the team until further notice. I can't go above the rules until a new director is named."

His gaze turned murderous. "Aren't we partners?"

He inched slowly from the light back into the darkness.

She looked at him in disbelief. Was he really using her speech against her? Of all of the nerve! She returned his intense gaze.

"Jane..."

She was cut off by a knock on her door. The recent events made her slightly jumpy..there was only so much the sleep deprived human body could handle..she spun towards the door.

She could have jumped up and down in relief. Virgil Minelli stood inches away from her with a shocked look on his face.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked tentatively.

Jane came out from the darkness, his previous emotions carefully stowed away.

Lisbon summoned a smile for her former mentor, "Nothing out of the usual sir."

"She was just about to hand my ass to me on a platter. Nice to see you Virgil."

"Jane, it's been a while." Minelli extended his hand to the consultant.

"Sir, what brings you here?" Lisbon questioned.

"It's a long story; I was hoping I could ask you to join me for breakfast Teresa. We have a lot to catch up on."

Lisbon shook her head and started walking towards the door when she realized that her legs moved but her arm was held in place. She looked back and Jane held two fingers towards Minelli.

"Two minutes Virgil, I need to get some information from Lisbon before you go."

Lisbon looked from Jane's hand to Virgil's eyes, she felt as though she could see the wheels spinning in his head. She had to put a stop to that.

"Jane, the team is going to have a briefing later on this morning. You should get all the information you need from that." Yanking her arm from his reach she walked out with Minelli without casting a glance backwards.

She felt eyes on the back of her head but she ignored them. They would continue the conversation later...

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Jane watched the elevator door close.

He was going to get answers one way or another.

He closed his eyes and regained his poker face. His legs walked him towards the elevator.

There was a certain church that required his presence.

Red John was HIS.

He didn't share..with Teresa or Loralei or anyone...

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	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thank you to those who have taken an interest in this story. I'm sorry this chapter is short but it wouldn't leave me alone. It begged to be written and shared with all of you!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine...if they were the new season would start TONIGHT.

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The CBI terrace was colored in hues of red and gold. The sun had risen beyond the horizon and was now adding color to the monochromatic setting.

Virgil Minelli and Teresa Lisbon sat in companionable silence. They both sat sipping the first brew of the day. Virgil put down his cup and cleared his throat.

"Teresa, I have one hour before I officially become your boss again."

Lisbon felt the warmness of the coffee replace itself with a sense of dread.

She looked at him with curious eyes "What's wrong? Why did you accept?"

"Right now, I'm speaking to you as your friend. I'd like to tell you a story. Back when I started as director there were things that were black and white, good and evil, right and wrong, you get the picture… then, there were some cases which were gray. These cases are the ones in which there is no 'correct' or by the book method to get justice. Red John is a gray case. I've seen you and your team hit your heads against the wall time and time again. At first, I'm ashamed that I took the easy way out; I left to hide from the evil that encompasses this case. Months passed by. I fished, I rested BUT in the back of my mind I thought about Red John.

He's taken my peace from me.

I'm here to get it back."

Lisbon reached for his weathered hand and covered it with her own. It was hurtful to see her mentor in this state.

Virgil's expression softened at his protégé's display of empathy. "Promise me, you will not give up on Jane. He's the only one who can figure this out. No man is an island. He's not as strong as he thinks he is. He needs our help."

"Sir, I've been trying, every single time we move one step forward it's like we go three steps back. He knows that I…that the team would never leave him."

"Teresa, I'm counting on you to bring him back from the darkness. The man I saw downstairs was one step away from doing something foolish. As your friend, you have my full support."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and pushed back his chair. "Agent Lisbon, it's my pleasure to be working with you again." He stood and walked away.

Lisbon stared at the sun and at her transformed surroundings. It was unbelievable what a little bit of light could do to a dark place.

A blue citroen caught her eye; it was halfway down the street. She would have missed it if the light hadn't caught it. Her frown deepened.

_Jane, stop running away from me. _

She ran towards her own car. They had a conversation to finish.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:** Have you ever had the feeling that you're watching a train wreck...but for some reason you can't stop watching? That's how I feel when I see Jane pursue Red John. I'm hoping this chapter lives up to a fraction of that feeling.

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to master conspirator Bruno Heller. Story is the product of an overactive imagination.

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The church remained closed off to the public. The last remnants of the night shift remained on the scene. It was early and the morning shift would soon make their appearance.

He took full advantage of this and approached the building.

He flashed his badge at the door and as he walked inside he let the darkness surround him. His mind briefly flashed back to when he had been here with Lisbon. He felt a tug between his lungs. They had been so close.

A few hours ago they had the upper hand. Red John was falling for his Oscar worthy performance... now, however, things were reversed.

He looked around; somewhere there had to be a sign. How could he be so clever and still be blind? He was missing something... Red John was blatantly asking for his attention. What had the police missed?

He spun around taking in every detail. Memorizing the placement of every book, stone and flower while mentally shouting...

_think._

_Think._

_THINK!_

He felt the idea coming together in his mind. He came here to confess to Lisbon. Red John would take pleasure in mocking his confession by replacing the memory with something heinous and brutal.

He walked towards the confessionals and scanned the area. He sat down and pulled the cover closed. He felt strangely suffocated being enclosed in such a small space.

He looked up hopelessly when he felt someone enter the other side of the confessional.

He smiled a desperate smile.

"Father, do not waste your time on me. There are more worthy souls to ask forgiveness for."

He was about to stand up and leave when he noticed who was sitting on the other side.

Green eyes looked at him thoughtfully.

"Patrick Jane, if there was ever a soul that had a reason to be saved, it would be yours.

We need to talk."

He sat back down and leaned close to the partition separating him from Lisbon. This time he smiled a genuine smile.

"If it isn't my own personal savior… Hello, Saint Teresa."

Lisbon kept her focus. "Jane, you need to listen to me. Minelli is the interim head of our unit."

Jane looked at her as if he was trying to solve a very difficult puzzle. "What does that mean?"

"What do you want it to mean?"

He paused and looked at his hands. He let his eyes focus on his wedding ring.

"Lisbon, I know what we need to do. You're going to need to trust me and do everything I say without question."

Lisbon's eyes begged for his attention. "Jane, when it comes to Red John I feel as if you lose your sense of self preservation. I want to help you but not at the price you're willing to pay."

His eyes softened, he looked at her and his face moved closer to the partition. He whispered.

"Then save me Saint Teresa.

You're the only one who can."

Lisbon swallowed her emotions. "What do you need me to do?"

"We need to take Loralei away from the CBI. Place her in your custody. I know how to break her."

"Where are we taking her?"

"I'm taking her home."

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Teresa Lisbon walked into the CBI with a heavy weight on her shoulders. Only once in her life had she ever pulled a personal favor from a colleague for Jane's sake. Today would mark the second time in her career. She had made the call to Minelli 20 minutes ago.

She headed towards the bullpen and was surprised to see the team standing side by side waiting for her.

Cho spoke up "Minelli told us."

Rigsby seconded him, "We're in this together boss."

Lisbon felt her resolve strengthen as she looked at her team. The weight she carried a few minutes ago became lighter than a feather. It was replaced with something else. Something stronger than doubt. It was replaced with hope.

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Sunset colored the horizon as the CBI issued SUV made its way down route I-5. Malibu was over 6 hours away. Lisbon glanced at her rear view mirror. If the situation wasn't so serious she would have smirked at the death glares Loralei was receiving from Cho and Van Pelt. Loralei seemed to be content, almost as if expecting this to have occurred.

"He knows where you're taking me. He knows about your plan."

Lisbon kept her eyes on the brunette.

"We're counting on it."

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	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Some of you will have guessed what's about to happen. Hope I don't let anyone who's been kind enough to give this story a chance down. Again, sorry for the shortness but it is necessary to set up what's about to go down.

**Disclaimer:** I borrowed a deleted scene from the first episode because it shows how far the characters have come. No infringement is intended. The Mentalist and its characters are the sole property of the show's creators.

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Patrick Jane had taken off his vest in an effort to cool himself down. He could feel the sweat pooling down his lower back. Ever since he had left Lisbon at the church he had been running. There was no time to waste if his plan was going to work.

His solitary trip to his Malibu home had been a blur. As he drove he remembered the recent awakening he had within its walls. He thought of the memories which had flooded back to him as he looked at the blood on his bedroom wall. It had all been too much. Every memory which came back to him was like a stab to the heart. He had not cried. Instead he felt repulsion fill him. He had forgotten them.

If Lisbon were here she would tell him that he couldn't hold himself accountable for the person he had been. He was different now; he wasn't the same person he used to be.

He stepped through the threshold and looked at the abandoned interior. The sunset colored the house in stunning shades of red. A morbid thought crossed his mind...

_It looked as if the walls were bleeding._

He stood looking at the walls until the red turned to purple and then finally to dark blue. He remembered himself and picked up his supplies from the floor. The stairs seemed eternal, each step was a step closer towards the task in front of him. He nudged the door open and looked at the grotesque reminder of his foolishness. It was the only physical reminder of his family besides the ring on his finger. Years had created a love/hate relationship with the mark.

He put down the items and brought the hand with his wedding ring up to his heart. He pictured the smiling faces of his wife and daughter and thought to himself…

_Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. _

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The team arrived to the Malibu house well after midnight. It had been over 48 hours since Lisbon had slept. Cho had taken over the driving halfway through the trip. She silently thanked him as she settled into the passenger seat. Sleep would not come. Lorelei's presence was enough to keep any comfort at bay.

She thought back to one of their earliest cases. The murder of a golf pro's wife and her doctor in Palm Springs. She remembered reproaching Jane while the team drove down the highway...

_"Oh wait a minute; you're just trying to get me to ask you to stay."_

_"Why would you think that? Why would she think that?"_

_"Because A, you've got nowhere to go and B, you're an egomaniac. You think it's impossible that I really and truly do not want to work with you. You think that deep down inside I've got a grudging respect for your genius. The truth is, deep down, I'm scared of you. You've got no boundaries; you've got no common sense. You're filled with all of this… this stuff that you refuse to acknowledge. One day, you're going to create one mother of a tragedy for yourself and everybody around you. I don't want to be there when it happens."_

She felt ashamed that those words had left her mouth back then. She had made assumptions without getting to know Jane. Her by the book personality clashed with the way he would abandon proper police procedure. It had taken time but they had worked things out. A little bit of his personality had carved out a home within her psyche. She hoped that maybe the team had the same effect on him. When she looked at Jane she saw little bits of Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt glimmering under the surface. She hoped that one day, when the nightmare was over, she would be there to see him come out of this tragedy.

Lisbon stepped out of the car. Van Pelt did the same to allow Lorelei to get out of the vehicle.

"Van Pelt, I'll escort her to the house. Stay here with Rigsby and Cho."

Van Pelt gave Lisbon a look of concern. She nodded at the younger agent. "I've got it." Lisbon tugged Lorelei towards the front door.

Lorelei spoke, "You hide your anxiety very well. You're not sure if this is going to work out."

Lisbon stood inches from the front door. She looked Lorelei in the eyes. "I've learned a lot from my time with Jane. The one thing that I'll always remember is that his heart is in a good place. I might not agree with how he does things... but I agree with the results." With that she knocked on the door.

A few seconds passed before Jane appeared on the other side. He masked his exhaustion with a predatory smile. Lisbon put on her most neutral face and stepped back. Jane looked at Lisbon, his smile faltered slightly as took hold of Lorelei's arm, led her inside and shut the door.

The team had followed the plan to the letter; they had delivered Lorelei to Jane.

Lisbon allowed her composure to fracture. An uncomfortable feeling started to grow in the pit of her stomach. She covered her face with her hands and felt the tears slide down her face. As she gathered the last of her remaining strength she sent a silent wish into the universe and headed back to her team to assign them their posts.

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Jane looked at the door he had just closed.

His mind flashed to the time when he asked Lisbon to fall into his arms. The trust fall. Lisbon hadn't realized it but she kept on falling into his arms. Slowly years of friendship had cemented their trust into the gift she had just given him. He wouldn't let them down... even if it cost him the little sanity he had left.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note:** Thank you for your kind reviews, they've helped weave the words you're about to read. Think '_Inception'_, many levels of a con. That might help.

**Disclaimer:** Just a wandering asteroid in Hellerverse.

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They had sat on the floor for what seemed like an eternity. Jane knew from experience that those devoted to Red John didn't easily give away details on their master. He remembered the laughs on their faces as in their dying moments they had all taunted him with the information he desperately sought.

His current captive would be no different. He knew that if he tried to hypnotize her that it would be a big risk. In the back of his mind he remembered that Red John had left the little girl intact. Red John knew Jane wouldn't allow a child to remember pure evil. He had to try.

Jane looked at his captive, she was beautiful. Beauty attracted beauty. Red John was certainly not the man Jane had described him to be. Not living in his basement somewhere... no, he was a powerful man, charismatic, his charm lay in his essence.

The gears stopped, it was time. He needed to make the con real for her. She needed to think her master was in danger so that he could expose her, manipulate her.

"Lorelei"

"Yes, Patrick"

"Lorelei, look at me"

Jane stood up and walked over to the bucket. He took a dish rag and swished it slowly in the water. He made sure her eyes were following him. He took the towel and moved it in and out of the water. Carefully, slowly, he repeated the gesture until her eyes glazed over.

"Lorelei, can you see him?"

"Who?"

"Your friend. He's standing by that wall."

Jane pointed to the smiley painted with his wife's blood.

"He's right there, he's waiting for you. Can't you see him?"

It took a few minutes of silence but a wistful look crossed her face.

_Bingo._

"Lorelei, that man, you love him don't you."

"Yes."

"You'd do anything to protect him, wouldn't you?"

"Yes."

Jane picked up the thoroughly soaked piece of white cloth and walked over to the wall.

"Lorelei, I'm going to kill him." He raised his hand and rivulets of water cascaded down his arm.

A desperate look crossed her face.

He looked her in the eyes, he whispered, "Tell me what I want to know or I'll erase him."

Her eyes were far from the predatory look she had given him days ago. She looked as if she was on the brink of tears. A slight whimper escaped her lips but she wouldn't give him what he wanted.

Jane couldn't take it anymore. He made a wide swipe at the wall. The dried blood came to life and pink liquid stained him.

His mind screamed at him to stop.

_STOP! STOP!_

"STOP!" Lorelei shouted.

She lunged at him and her tiny fingers clawed at his wrists. He turned her around and held her arms in the air. He looked deeply into her eyes and thought of all of the times he'd heard..._You're more like him than you know._

He spoke, "It's ok, he didn't hurt me."

Jane looked into her eyes tenderly, he was disgusted with himself. He was playing a dangerous game, he was conning her to believe that he was Red John.

"Let's go home. Take me home." He took her hands in his and let her lead. She looked at him. He could see confusion battling with common sense. He held his breath.

She started walking towards the door.

Orange glimmered on the other side.

_It's too early for sunrise._

His nose recognized the smell before his brain could catch up.

His house was on fire.

The first floor had been engulfed in flames and its tendrils licked the walls, the orange tongues reached upwards.

_No! no! no! I'm so close!_

He turned back to Lorelei. The chaos was enough to bring her out of the fragile state she had been put in. She scrambled towards the wall, hugging it protectively.

"We need to get out of here!" Jane shouted.

"I'm not leaving him."

Jane reached for her but she kicked at him furiously. "He's mine!" she yelled.

The room was billowing with smoke. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't lose her when the possibility of catching Red John was so close.

His lungs seized and begged for air. He ignored the stinging in his eyes and reached for her again.

He felt the flames in the room, his skin registered the heat but his mind refused to give up.

"Please" he begged.

His vision turned cloudy.

_Please. _

He stared at her bewildered expression as his legs gave out from under him.

_Please._

He reached out to her. He could see his hand imploring, begging her to snap out of the trance.

Too much, there was too much smoke. He coughed the last puffs of pure air out of his lungs and felt tears sliding down his cheeks. His body gave up and he succumbed to the darkness.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** This is the previous chapter from the point of view of the entire team. Hope it all makes sense. Just a few scenes left to this story, thank you for giving this a chance!

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to Bruno Heller, lucky dog!

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Lisbon ran towards the direction of the sound. In the dead of night she had heard a thump and then broken glass. Her heart raced as she thought a million things.

Half of her thought Jane might have thrown something out of a window while the other half knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

She neared the sound and saw Van Pelt on the floor, a gash on the side of her head. The team scrambled towards them, looks of alarm and panic on their faces.

That was when they saw it. Flames. Horrific red flames.

Rigsby yelled at her and Cho, "I'll look after Van Pelt! GET IN THERE!"

Cho broke into a sprint and approached the door at a furious speed. His body collided against the frame and the unsuspecting material yielded to his force. The door fell off of its hinges and revealed the madness within.

Smoke billowed out behind him as he moved towards the stairs. He could feel the flames licking his heels. He didn't care; he needed to get to them.

His hands barely made contact with the scorching stair rails as he reached his destination. The door was open but he couldn't see within the room. He sank down to his hands and knees and began to claw at his surroundings. Desperation fueled his movements as he knew that he was losing precious time.

"I'M BEHIND YOU, CAN YOU SEE THEM?" Lisbon shouted.

"NO..." Cho coughed but tried to maintain his composure, they NEEDED to find them.

The heat was unbearable; he could hear Lisbon on her hands and knees on the other side of the room.

"I'VE GOT A HAND!" Lisbon shouted.

Cho quickly scrambled to her side of the room and picked up the other half of Patrick Jane. Cho strained with effort, his strength was weakened by the smoke. They pulled the consultant to his feet. He could feel Lisbon supporting the other half of the weight.

"DO YOU SEE LORELEI?" Lisbon shouted.

"WE CAN'T GET THEM BOTH OUT AT THE SAME TIME!" Cho yelled.

"WE HAVE TO TRY! YOU TAKE JANE!"

Cho felt the full weight of Jane rest on his shoulders.

He half dragged, half pulled Jane towards the exit. The flames singed his clothing as the stairs began to creak and moan under their combined weight.

Cho was a serious man, a logical man, but as he willed all of his strength to come to his aid he couldn't help but hope…

_Please, let us make it out of here alive._

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Rigsby held the unconscious Van Pelt in his arms as he looked at the chaos unfold. Someone had known they would be there, just as Lorelei had promised. They had known exactly who would be at which security point and how to compromise their operation.

He looked at the angry embers floating away from the decomposing structure. His mind battled with his will. His wife and son would kill him they knew he was contemplating throwing himself into a fire. He looked at Van Pelt and his heart felt as if it was being pulled in two. The team needed his help...

Helplessness flooded him. He should have known better, he should have recognized the signs. His years of arson training should have tipped him off, the smell of incendiary liquid made its presence known as small explosions blew out the remaining windows.

He hoped, he prayed that he would see Cho or Lisbon any minute. That they would be walking out of the door before the house collapsed around them.

His arms tightened around Van Pelt. He grabbed onto her as if the pressure would keep the thin shred of hope from fraying any further.

His ears picked up on the sirens in the distance and he felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

_Help was on its way. _

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Cho could hear the sirens as he neared the door. Before he knew it he felt dozens of hands on his body as he felt himself lifted. He didn't let go of Jane's hand. They both faced the cloudless sky as they were both carried across the lawn. He tried to find his voice…

"One..." he coughed and then struggled to make them pay attention to him.

"One more" he pointed at the house.

He could feel himself being lowered onto the ground. Lights flashed at him in all directions as streams of water made contact with the red and black house. He struggled to look at the mess. It was unrecognizable.

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Rigsby flagged down the approaching sirens and shouted at them.

"HELP THEM!"

"INSIDE!"

"INSIDE THE HOUSE!'

He let go of Van Pelt and gingerly placed her head on the soft grass. He gave her a pleading look, asking her for her silent forgiveness as he was about to abandon her to run into the flames. As soon as the sirens were close enough he charged towards the house.

He covered his head with his arms to protect himself from the falling embers. As he entered he looked around wildly for a sign of his team. He saw Cho struggling to carry Jane down the stairs and immediately ran towards them. They looked like soldiers who had stepped out of a battle field. Their clothes were tattered and their faces were grey with ash and soot.

Rigsby placed himself in between them; he took one arm from each and started to drag them out. His arms screamed and protested at the weight but he pulled them with his entire being. He felt a searing pain between his shoulder blades. A piece of wood had fallen from the ceiling and had made contact with his shirt. He screamed and fell to his knees. He held onto his friends as he inched towards the door. Dozens of officers entered the room; he felt their hands carry them out of the house. They still held onto one another, each of them refusing to let go.

As they reached the safety of the lawn he felt something inside him shift. He couldn't be angry with Jane. The events of the past few hours were enough to clear any lingering doubt. Jane was his family too.

Among of all of the words he could have used to describe Patrick Jane; _idiot, mindless, smartass_…he added one more, _brother_.

He saw Cho mouthing something... _One more_.

"They've got her" Rigsby reassured him as he looked towards the ruins and saw more men carrying a woman out of the house. He beaded his eyes to look through the haze. He saw the strong but delicate arm of his leader hanging limply from the makeshift cot made by the arms of a few men. They carried her towards one of the ambulances nearby.

Rigsby looked at the hell which surrounded him. He saw the faces of his team, their bodies lying on the ground in complete exhaustion. As the ambulance crews pulled them apart he thought to himself...

_Please let them make it._

_Please, let them all be ok._

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	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Characters belong to maestro, Bruno Heller. The rest…well, you know.

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It was early in the morning; it had been 72 hours since the trap in the desert, 48 hours since his last confession and 24 hours since he sold his soul to the devil.

Patrick Jane returned to the realm of consciousness. He did so hesitantly. He knew what would be waiting for him on the other side.

The awareness of being alive was his first thought. Memories of what occurred started to stain his mind like inky black droplets.

_He remembered wiping the smiley off his wall._

Nausea rose to the surface of his throat, he moved his head towards the right to let the bile leave his body.

He hadn't opened his eyes but he felt a bucket poke him in the side of the face. Without looking he dry heaved. Slowly, carefully he opened his eyes.

The hand attached to the container was not young. It was wrinkled but strangely familiar.

His eyes followed the hand and the arm that belonged to it all the way to the face of Virgil Minelli.

His lips frowned slightly but he recovered quickly and hoped his visitor had not noticed the slip.

Virgil Minelli was not fooled.

"Not who you were expecting?" The older man said thoughtfully.

Jane looked at his surroundings and noticed that there was no sign of his coworkers. His monitors whirled to life betraying the calm he was trying to hide behind.

Minelli brought his hand to Jane's arm to get his attention, "Jane, stop. They're being treated, they're going to be fine."

He needed to know more..._what happened?_

_How had his plan unraveled so quickly?_

Minelli responded to his voiceless inquiry, "Someone had doused areas of your home with incendiary liquid. When the opportunity presented itself someone threw a fire into your house and it spread quickly. We think Van Pelt might have tried to stop the person from getting away before she was knocked out. Before you ask, she doesn't remember enough for an ID."

_Of course. _

Jane took a calming breath and clenched his fists. If he was in the room by himself he would have stood up and screamed in frustration. Anger simmered while Minelli silently pleaded with him to calm down. "You need to prepare yourself. You're not going to like what I'm going to tell you."

Jane looked Minelli in the eyes.

Minelli felt as if he was in the eye of a hurricane. He had Jane's full attention.

"Lisbon stayed behind to get Lorelei out of the house. She said that Lorelei was crazed to the point of insanity. She would not leave the house because she believed that Red John was in the room. She had your wife's blood all over her clothing. They both made it out but Lorelei most likely will never speak again."

Minelli could feel Jane's mind reeling.

"Jane, what did you do to her?" he asked cautiously.

Jane suppressed his rage and whispered with the last remnants of his self control. "I had no choice."

"What do you mean you had no _choice_?"

"I needed to expose her weakness. I needed to embody her loyalty towards Red John. I needed to become him."

"Become him?"

"Yes."

Minelli paled and removed his hand from Jane as if he had been burned.

Jane felt the anger take a backseat to renewed feelings of wretchedness.

"Jane, how far would you have gone if ..." he didn't finish the sentence. He looked at the floor and shook his head. "I'm leaving to check on the others…" Minelli didn't look at him as he retreated towards the door and left without a backwards glance.

His shame shook him to his core.

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Teresa Lisbon was having a miserable day.

She sat on her couch and stared at the picture of her brothers. Her time at home was a direct result of their recent job which had resulted in putting the entire team on a few days of personal leave. She was relieved that they had all been fortunate enough to walk away but her mind would not let her bury the horrible things she had seen.

For the past two nights she had been startled awake by her memories, her heart pounding louder than her thoughts. She would feel the heat of the fire on her skin and she would quickly touch her arms and legs to make sure that they were not blistered. Lorelei's voice haunted her thoughts.

The image of her clinging to the wall as if her life depended on it would never leave her mind.

_What had Jane done?_

_What type of person could do that to another human?_

Lorelei was not an innocent; however, NO ONE should be manipulated to that point.

She had not spoken to Jane since the incident and was on full avoidance mode. She turned her attention back to the photograph. Whenever her brothers had tried a brainless scheme she would get on their case and ream them for their thoughtlessness.

Jane was different. Her brothers were bound to her by blood; they HAD to listen to her. Jane was not her brother; she didn't know what he was.

She tried to reason with herself, she needed time to process the 'new' Jane. The Jane who would disappear for 6 months without a second thought; the one who would use his wife's last memory in a dangerous scheme; the one whose mind was now co-habited by Red John.

_Was he really foolish enough to think that he could let Red John in and not expose himself to the darkness?_

Lisbon was tired of staring at the same four walls. Her need for a distraction had her dialing the only people she could reach out to. She held her breath as she waited for a voice to pick up the other end of her call.

The youthful voice of her niece met her ears, "Hey, aunt Reese, how's it going?"

She hid her weariness, "Hi Annabeth…"

"Annie…"

For the first time in the past few days she grinned and corrected herself, "Annie… Is your dad home?"

"Is everything ok?"

"I need to speak to him."

"Hold on…DAD!"

She felt the phone being grabbed by her brother and she could practically see his raised eyebrow.

"What's up?"

She took on her most casual voice, "I have a couple of days off… I was wondering if I could stop by."

She could hear him moving away from his location and closing a door.

He spoke in a hushed whisper, "That's bullshit! I heard what happened over the radio. Teresa you scared the life out of me."

"Look Tommy…"

"Don't 'Look Tommy' me. I would have met you at the hospital but you checked out… for once in your life let someone be there for you! You know that you can come here whenever you want… this door is always open to you."

Lisbon relinquished her mild indignation at being spoken to like a 14 year old and took his words at face value, "Thanks. I'm on my way."

"Listen, Reese, I know that we're on shaky ground here… but I'm happy you called."

"Me too."

He hung up and she did the same. She grabbed her overnight bag and headed to her car. Her mind kept replaying the scenes from the past few days. She had managed to 'save' Lorelei but she knew that she had only saved her body. Her mind was lost. She wondered how far behind Jane was, how much of his mind was lost too.

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Jane had been released from the hospital a few days after his confrontation with Minelli. He hadn't trusted himself to visit Lorelei and he couldn't face the team, he needed time to collect his thoughts.

A short cab ride later found him at the ashes of his old home. He could see the police tape surrounding the perimeter as a warning to keep intruders out. He trekked towards his former doorstep and ignored the yellow perimeter. Ash coated the door frame and everything within. He walked in further and eyed the charred blackness as far as his eye would go.

It was sunset and the red sky peaked in through holes in the ceiling. He walked carefully among the ruins of his former house. When he reached the other side he sank to his knees. A sob escaped him.

_What had he done?_

He shook until exhaustion overcame him and his body dropped to the floor. Ash blanketed him as his eyes closed. His exhaustion did not chase away the dreams of fire, blood and Red John.

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Lisbon had made it out of city limits a few hours ago and was headed towards the border of the state. She had picked up a few necessities along the way to keep her eyes open during the trip. She remembered walking into the gas plaza and being greeted by a news story covering the recent disaster in Malibu. She had quickly paid for her coffee and exited the shop.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't going to be able to keep her mind off of what had happened.

The news story kept playing in her mind…

_Large inferno…_

_Patrick Jane.._

_Red John._

As she passed neighborhood after neighborhood her car took on a mind of its own and steered itself towards ground zero.

It was well past midnight and she slowed down as she spotted the yellow tape which marked the location of Jane's former Malibu home. Her car wheels crunched on the broken pavement. The house looked worse than she remembered.

She debated whether she should get out of her car.

_Why had she come here?_

Part of her knew it was foolishness which had her stepping out of her car, it was courage which moved her legs towards the door and it was the ache in her heart which made her walk through the charred doorframe.

She looked around and tried to keep her hands to herself. The exposed beams and splinters threatened to hurt her. She felt slightly vulnerable in her white t-shirt and jeans; she wished she had worn something which could shield her from the physical reminders of their failure.

Her steps took her towards the back of the house, the night sky lit up parts of the floor. She was eyeing each pocket of light when she noticed that there was something…._someone_ _else _here.

She saw an outline of a face covered with ash. The moon made the sight ethereal. If she hadn't known better she would have thought she was in a dream. She walked towards the figure and felt her heart leap into her throat….

_Jane._

She knelt down and shook his shoulder but there was no response.

_How on earth had he gotten here?_

"Jane!"

She moved her hands to his face and started to lightly pat his cheeks. She started to check for breathing under his nose when all of a sudden she felt hands encircle her throat.

The force of the attack pushed her onto her back. She clawed at the hands, self preservation kicked in as she used her legs to kick at him.

Jane looked down at her; he seemed unaffected by her desperation.

He brought his ashy white face inches from hers and smiled at her.

The realization of what was occurring felt like ice water in her veins. She looked at his eyes but didn't recognize the stranger staring back.

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**Authors Note:** Oh my.

Thanks to you lovely readers who have made it to this point.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** All (good and bad) things must come to an end. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to let my mind run free with these characters.

**Disclaimer:** Logically the characters belong to Bruno Heller, but they're MINE in my dreams.

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_Red John is a showman, he takes pleasure in seeing his victims suffer._

Lisbon stilled her movements; she was not going to win by feeding the monster. She brought up her hands to his face and with her fading strength she whispered, "I know who you are."

She was surprised when she felt water on her hands and even more surprised when the hands around her throat stilled. She focused her eyes on his and willed her friend to fight the monster within.

Slowly Jane moved his hands away from her and his face became a mask.

Lisbon knew that this was uncharted territory; there was no comeback for this act, no joke to hide behind.

They stayed crouched on the floor for what seemed like an eternity.

Despite the fact that she had just been attacked she knew that her friend was on the brink. She needed to be strong for him.

She reached behind her neck and opened the clasp of her chain. The cross took on the fading light of the moon. She carefully reached over and motioned Jane to meet her half way.

Slowly, he moved towards her.

She didn't know if he was more afraid of himself or of her.

Her arms embraced him, offered him comfort. She circled her hands around his neck and placed the cross there. Closing the clasp she took a deep breath and pulled away.

He looked at her neck, she was sure he was focusing on the bruises that might have started to form there.

Lisbon broke the silence, "I know the past few years have been very difficult for you. I know that there are times when you lose hope in ever finding the man who has done this to you...but I also know that you still have good in you. You have the power to help people!

Jane, you have your own way of doing things but that doesn't mean it doesn't work. I want you to see that I have faith in you."

She moved her hands towards her cross and placed both palms over his chest.

"I want you to know that even though there is darkness in you, there can also be good."

She moved her hands away from his chest and prayed for a miracle.

Jane found it hard to speak; his heart had shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. He choked out, "I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know if I'll ever be myself again."

He took her hands and placed them over his heart, "I would like to be someone worthy of your faith."

Lisbon took in his disheveled appearance. His tears had streaked paths down his face and he looked like an unhappy clown. She wiped away the ash and started to dust off his shoulders.

He looked at her in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Lisbon couldn't help but smirk at his expression, "I'm fixing you. Besides, Patrick Jane, if my brother sees us like this he's going to have a fit."

She hoped in time that one day he would forgive himself, that one day he would bury his demons.

She took his hand and they walked away from the house and out from the darkness.

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End file.
